Here Comes 2013

Haven't seen the end of Merlin yet, but my computer's been busy dying and with all the people around, I haven't had a moment to myself for weeks. That's helping the depression-kind of-but I have a feeling the fug I was under is going to be back when the house gets quiet again.

The computer issue is also slowing down the applying for jobs thing because all my info is on HERE and I can't get to it if the damn thing dies. I'm currently trying to rescue my stuff so that it can go and I won't have to worry.

I gotta get off here before I run the battery down.

Ta,
Bec

Feeling Tired and Depressed

Hi,

Been down again. Christmas might help with some of it. Haven't been watching "Merlin" or reviewing because of the dumps thing. Didn't get Leicester and it hasn't helped my mood. Hope I'll perk up soon.

I'll talk back soon.

Ta,
Bec

364 Days Later...

I might have something in the job department. I won't jinx myself by saying more; if it falls through then I won't be overly disappointed.

I'm still waiting on Leicester (that's Tuesday.) I am 90% sure I won't get it. And that's me being positive.

Tomorrow is one year since I graduated, and what a useless year it's been.

Let's hope I get something soon.

Merlin review here after I watch it. I just realized I didn't do one for last week (probably because I was ill) but I'll do a short summary of that one, too.


Ta,
Bec

Ragdolled by Leftover Turkey...Or Not.

From Monday morning, as my internet was being stupid the last few days and needed a deep repair from a couple of handy programs that do that sort of thing...

So I was hungry yesterday after church (the song we sang was difficult and apparently calorie-consuming, so I had a turkey sandwich.

This turkey was a leftover nearing the end of its life. We try not to waste food around here. I polished it off.

Then for dinner, I had the other half of a very thick pork chop (Mum had the other half), carrots, applesauce, and a baked potato.

I took a nice, warm bath and read my book.

Half an hour later after I got out of the bath, all hell broke loose.

We think I contracted food poisoning from the turkey. I threw up more times between 6 and midnight than anyone wants to. I couldn't even keep water down. I felt like a rag doll.

By today, I am loads better. Keeping food down, not really sick anymore, save for my head spins if I'm up for more than a few minutes. I was supposed to work for Ray tonight because we didn't have a car on Saturday, but not today. Not if I can barely stand up.

I didn't work on Monday at all- couldn't manage it. Tuesday was tons better.

As of today (Wednesday) I feel 99% better than I did on Monday, except my head kind of hurts yet (and going down to pick something up takes some thinking because my head kind of wooshes a little. I just have to go slow and steady and not go whup downwards like usual.)

UPDATE, THURSDAY MORNING...

Dad's got it now, so the turkey was fine, obviously. He's got it worse than me, though, which is weird because I'm nearly 200 pounds lighter than him and less than half his age (less immunities built up, but maybe my age made my stomach more resilient.) I had a mild case of la runs this morning (four days LATER?) but otherwise I'm back to normal and everything.

Christmas Shopping Almost Done

My Christmas shopping is 99% finished. My wrapping is done. I have two more presents to buy and then I'm really, really, really done. Unless I get Mum one more thing she's not counting on. Hmmm...

Update: Or not. She needed a sink drain too badly to wait three weeks (we've been using a jar lid to keep the water in the kitchen sink, which works alright if you get it placed right, otherwise the water runs out the bottom.)

But otherwise, everyone's finished, even the pets (Ninja included.) Mystic was trying to watch me while I wrapped his present this morning and finally Mum had to go talk to him and shut the door so I could finish. Kids! Always want to know what they're getting ahead of time.

Almost been stuck here a year. Yeah. I will let you know how that feels next week when it IS a year...

Merlin review later on when I have the episode.

Ta,
Bec

Moving Stuff Around

Thanksgiving was good and fairly quiet. Mystic and my sister's cat Ninja started out hissing at each other, but by now are playing in the middle of our bedroom floor. Mystic got jumped last night and was merely mildly offended rather than mad (he's so easygoing most of the time that Ninja, who doesn't like other cats, seems to be getting along with him all right.) It'll make future visits easier if they get along.

The queen and twin bunk bed that we thought would A)get taken down at Christmas and B)we would sell to someone else was taken down Thanksgiving Day and was too damaged to be sold off. My sisters did the taking down, the destroying of the bed (so we can get it in the car to take to the dump,) and the putting up of the 20 dollar second-hand futon/twin bed that we got at a church rummage sale. I helped with the last bit, mostly because I was cooking during the taking down and I was cleaning up during the putting up.

My sisters also got rid of most of their dresser (two little parts left.) It was big, it was ugly, and it was old. I have hated that dresser since the day it began blocking up the wall and I was glad to see my sister put her foot through the back of it last night. Hope the next two parts go the way of the rest of it and soon.

Thanks to the open space in the middle of the floor, I may actually get to start doing my yoga (couldn't do it till I had a soft and open floor to do it on.) We're also moving a donated TV into the room, so we'll see how much space we've got left.

Save one present, I am done Christmas shopping. I got a couple things extra coming in the mail that I ordered yesterday. Finally got my mother's soap (had to wait till the free shipping kicked in on the one website that had the kind we wanted, and then I ordered a couple of other things, too.)

I will put up the Merlin review here as soon as I see it. Might be a bit-we have a lot to do today.

Ta,
Bec







SPOILER LINE





















Gwen again tried to kill Arthur this week, this time with the help of Morgana dropping Merlin down a ravine and pouring what looked like mandrake drip down his throat (and a nasty reaction he had, too. Foam, seizures, no magic and everything.) The druid boy who was not druid but saved the day even though he was paid by Morgana was a little trite, but who else could have found Merlin down in that ravine and actually saved him?

Gwen enlisted the help of an old and vicious king and since Merlin screwed it up (again) his own assassin did him in. Ha ha.

Nothing too complex going on otherwise; we've never seen Merlin down this far before (and pop back up so quickly. What the hell was in that drink the kid gave him- Dragonlord Gatorade?)

Morgana has got to be screaming in rage by now.

Gwen has got to be pretty enraged by now.

Merlin is tres angry, though. He was stomping with PURPOSE at the end of this one, which means Morgana might want to reconsider her evil plot.

Next week: Attempt Number 3-Flying Morganas, Gwen steals a scroll and faceplants in a loaf of bread, Aithusa flies, Mordred does something to give Merlin and Arthur a chance to get away.

5 to go, and then no more...

Ta,
Bec

CSI: Camelot. Cue Teenage Wasteland! Dum, dah, dah. Dum, dah, dah...

Not much going on with me. Working on some stuff. I took time off from that stuff to bring you my thoughts on Episode 7 of Merlin. All after the spoiler line-enjoy.



































SPOILER





















It seems we're taking hints from other shows again. All we needed this week were David Caruso, a palm tree, and one of those whooshy kind of scenes where they show the stab wound and the knife going in and the damage caused and such like. IT'S...

CSI: Camelot (The Who's Baba O'Riley plays...)

It's solving the attempted assassinationS of Arthur, through evidence collected at the scene, witness statements, accusations, murder, and a little bit of Saucery!

We of course know who was doing the deeds and who did the deeds to the doer (say that five times fast): Morgana made Gwen evil, so Gwen tries to dump Arthur onto the ground and crack his skull. Then he gets jumped by two bandits. Fortunately, Arthur only damages his white shirt and the two bandits. No head injury? This is new. The head stabler almost spills the beans, so she knifes him. I actually like Gwen better when she's playing Morgana from two seasons ago, smirking to the corners of the walls and pretending to love everyone when really she wants to stab you in the eye with a letter opener.

Next, Gwen tries to henbane Arthur, and only through Merlin escaping the jail cell she put him in, running through the castle as Dragoon, changing back, escaping trouble by climbing the castle wall, and doing dragon magic in secret does Arthur survive. Morgana should be hot with rage by now-someone is THWARTING!

And Morgana needs to pay her potioneers a bit more money, because apparently this guy didn't get enough or he would have shut up when faced with King Arthur. See if she goes back to him for her tinctures next time she needs an evil lotion for her foot fungus.

This episode was actually quite good; the bad guys lose but don't get caught, the good guys aren't completely stupid, and Merlin gets to cuss out the castle cook AND do some awesome magicy things of magicness. And cry. Again. Colin Morgan is the man who can cry on a tuppence and make it look good-he had ME crying...

Gwen/Morgana are going to try again next week, and now that Merlin's onto her/them, it could get real interesting. Looks like Merlin's going to have a terrible seizure and be spitting black ooze (shouldn't have had those berries...) and maybe get dropped off a mountain. Like that will stop the Course of Justice and a Good Guys Always Win kind of plot.

But if Gwen goes to prison and gets hanged for treason, the only solution is that Arthur marry Mithian, and pronto. Should have married her in the first place, then we wouldn't be in this mess.

See you for eight next week-six more and it's over, folks!

Ta,
Bec

Confusion Reigns-Merlin Meets LotR

The Rhinelander job fell through. I am reconsidering my options for the twelfth time this month. Let you know more when I know more.

Before we do the Merlin review, I want to post MY particular version of Mujadara, or Injudra, or whatever you deign to call it. I had to work on it a little because the version they gave me didn't have the spices I like in it, and when I did the spices on the second batch, there was too much pepper. This time around on Batch 3, I've cut the pepper in half and I'm pleased with the result, which means that this recipe here is the one I'll be sticking with for the foreseeable future (when I get a place to live, this one is going to be made probably once or twice a week because it's cheaply and quickly made, and it holds up for days in the fridge.)

1/2 cup whole brown or green large lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/8 cup canola oil
1 small yellow onion, diced (size of my fist/just under baseball size)
1/2 cup long grain rice (I use brown rice and I rinse mine, but do as you like.)
1/2 tsp. garam masala (It's a spice mix, sort of like curry powder is a spice mix. If you can't find it (my Walmart doesn't know what this stuff is), here's a recipe so you can make your own...http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-garam-masala/
1/2 tsp. cumin (DO NOT forgo this if you make your own garam masala.)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

For fried onion garnish (optional):
1 large onion cut in very thin rings
canola oil for frying

Place lentils in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are par-cooked, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Be careful not to overcook here; the idea is to par-cook the lentils. I do them till they begin to get soft.

In a large, heavy sauté or sauce pan (with a lid), heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt as the onions cook.

If using brown rice, cook with 1 cup of water for about 7-8 minutes before adding to the onion mixture. It should just be chewy.

Take the onions off the heat and add 1 cup of water. Place back on the heat and boil, over high heat, for five minutes. The liquid will take on the deep golden color of the onions and the onions will continue to soften.

Add the rice and par-cooked lentils to the onion mixture. Cover and bring to a boil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are cooked through. The texture of the rice and lentils is somewhat al dente. Take care not to overcook or the mixture will become mushy. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature drizzled with olive oil.

For fried onion garnish, heat canola oil over high heat in a small saucepan (the small saucepan reduces the amount of oil needed for depth). When a small piece of onion dropped into the oil floats to the top and bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. Fry the onion rings in batches until golden brown, reducing heat as needed to prevent burning. Remove and drain on paper towel. Place the onions on top of the mujadara on a serving platter or individual plates.


For fried onion garnish (optional):
1 large onion cut in very thin rings
canola oil for frying

Place lentils in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are par-cooked, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Be careful not to overcook here; the idea is to par-cook the lentils. I do them till they begin to get soft.

In a large, heavy sauté or sauce pan (with a lid), heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt as the onions cook.

If using brown rice, cook with 1 cup of water for about 7-8 minutes before adding to the onion mixture.

Take the onions off the heat and add 1 cup of water. Place back on the heat and boil, over high heat, for five minutes. The liquid will take on the deep golden color of the onions and the onions will continue to soften.

Add the rice and par-cooked lentils to the onion mixture. Cover and bring to a boil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are cooked through. The texture of the rice and lentils is somewhat al dente. Take care not to overcook or the mixture will become mushy. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature drizzled with olive oil.

For fried onion garnish, heat canola oil over high heat in a small saucepan (the small saucepan reduces the amount of oil needed for depth). When a small piece of onion dropped into the oil floats to the top and bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. Fry the onion rings in batches until golden brown, reducing heat as needed to prevent burning. Remove and drain on paper towel. Place the onions on top of the mujadara on a serving platter or individual plates.



So there it is. This dish is made in a hundred variations, so don't take mine as gospel, but if it works for a girl who was raised on German-Lutheran food, then by gosh, it should work for just about everyone else.

Now, the Merlin review. Sorry to make you wait for it...




















SPOILER LINE





The Dark Tower or "They're Taking Queen Gwen to Isengard!" I originally did say Mordor, but forgot Barad-dur has the flaming volcano, the orcs, and the spiky tower, so it's really better to compare this tower to Isengard because of the lack of trees.

Elyan is gone from the Earth, thanks to Morgana's enhanted "Fight to the Death" sword which stabs him and makes his boat eat a flamethrower. It is too bad that we never really got any development on Gwen's brother-there was a lot of potential there when they introduced the character and we never saw him quite enough.

Where the hell is Mordred?

Percy and Leon get bit by magical CGI snakes, which scare the hell out of their horses. They could have made the snakes look more real, but whatever. I have a minor problem with this-did someone have the presence of mind to grab a snake before they left the clearing so they could make an antidote? Remember that this was a problem waaaaaay back in series 1? Oh, so now we can just pull antidotes out of thin air?

But apparently Morgana gave Gaius a snakebite he could actually cure, meaning these two knights get a terribly convenient flash of where they're supposed to be going when the Camelot crew gets stuck. Why didn't one of them see the enchanted sword that killed Elyan?

Gwen has been turned by screaming mandrakes, creepy friends showing up and laughing at her, and Morgana being scarily nice for the first time in about 5 years. Morgana's got Gwen convinced that everyone else is bad and Morgana is good (this will become an issue next week when Gwen starts burning what appears to be a joint in the castle walls.)

We find out Morgana was trapped in a well for two years (she says deep dark pit and I say well) (sans water of course, although considering Morgana should have about fifty holes in her from being stabbed a thousand times, the water might not have bothered her at all.) Being in a well for two years explains the hair, at least (no conditioner in Morgana's handbag anymore-she doesn't use any herself and she certainly didn't borrow any to Gwen.)

Why didn't Gwen ask Morgana WHY she's bad? That's always a nice topic of discussion when Morgana stops waving swords and shouting at Arthur.

Merlin meets Queen Mab, who just gives him bull (left is right and right is left. This is me EVERY DAY) but apparently he's able to use his magic to get the knights through the scary evil forest of evil.

Funny, the creepiest part of this episode wasn't the creepy laughing friends or the host of mandrakes screaming their roots off, it was Morgana offering Gwen chicken like they were old pals having a nice dinner at Ruby Tuesday. It was nice for Morgana to have an evil plot that actually worked for more than ten minutes, but I think she'll have to make up a new one by the end of next week.

So next week: Gwen has gone bad. She gives Arthur a potion that makes him slump like he's dead. I assume not because Arthur is supposed to die at the hands of Mordred, who makes a miraculous reappearance next week (and I'll bet there's a spot open on the Camelot Knights team thanks to Elyan's untimely demise.)

Let's hope that Gwen's just playing Morgana and she hasn't really gone wubbles, cause if she has Arthur might have to kill her for treason. Darn.

Ta,
Bec

Willpower versus Temptation. Temptation Won.

I made almond cookies for a friend this weekend. They were not meant for someone like me. They had regular flour.

Mom made a pile of dark/semisweet/white chip cookies yesterday. They were also not meant for someone like me. They had regular flour.

BUT I was stupid. I flaunted my diet and chowed down. Willpower only gets you so far. Then you fall off the wagon on your head.

And today the payment came due. I have had an upset stomach all day long. I know why and I have been kicking myself all day long for it (although since my stomach started whining, I have avoided those cookies like the plague.)

It may take weeks for me to feel right again. Not the brightest thing I've done this year.

Meanwhile, Mystic has been talking to us all day and most of what he's saying is fairly rude. Figures. All of our pets in the last few years have sassed us-Whisper did it, Spritey does it, and now Mystic does, too. Mum thinks it's because we allow them so much leeway (and really, we love to hear them talk to us and speak their minds. But don't tell them that.)

We've both noticed he's a bit more trouble than Spritey as far as getting into things and such, but as I just reminded Mum, Spritey is stuck to the floor and can't climb around on the furniture and knock stuff off like he can. He was playing catch with a polished amethyst rock the other morning at about 4 AM and having a ball. We've also added a red laser light, a shoelace, and today a whole string full of jingle bells. Anything to keep him busy.

Heard nothing on the job today but then again, my cell phone is in my purse and my purse is in my dad's car because Mum went on a chip spree yesterday and I left it behind when I had my hands full.

Not much else going on. No medication is going to cure my problem, just time and behaving myself and not eating that pile of cookies sitting on the table.

Ta,
Bec

If Arthur Had Just Married HER...And Merlin Is An Idiot

I realized I haven't said anything for awhile, but I also just realized I didn't do my review of Merlin Episode 4...Not much going on; save my intended major has changed to a Masters in English and I may have a temporary job as early as tomorrow...






























SPOILER LINE

This was a fairly good episode.







1. Mithian the Awesome, who should have been Queen of Camelot, has Daddy kidnapped by Odin, who's still angry about that son thing from SEASON 1. What a way to hold a grudge. He's working with Morgana (who should just be shot in the back already, mostly for how out of control her hair seems to be getting with every passing week...seriously. Conditioner and a comb. It'll do wonders.)

2. Mithian goes to Camelot and betrays them because Morgana is GLARING and ANGRY and BAD BAD BAD OLD SERVANT LADY. Every time Mithian tries to give Morgana the slip, the abuse gets worse. Honestly, I saw right through her disguise so why didn't Merlin?

3. Arthur, for once, is smart enough not to turn on Mithian and her dad once they're rescued. Not your fault. Morgana's a bitch.

Arthur has friends, Odin is FINALLY buried under a mountain, and I have no idea where Morgana is. Again. Off plotting, I suppose.

This week's episode has three old women that Arthur unwittingly ticked off and now they're trying to kill him. I assume, given the usual way these things go, that Arthur will still be standing at the end of this episode and the three old ladies will be burning in whatever hell Merlin can cook up for them.














SPOILER LINE (OF RAGE!)

THIS week's episode has me flailing between "Here we go again" and "MER-LIN..." and "The writers strike again." The biggest, most obvious chance Merlin's ever had to free all the magic people and he decides there's no place for magic in Camelot because he thinks Mordred should die. AGH!

I shook my fist at the screen in anger. 5 years of this! 5 YEARS!

Let's kind of hope that it misfires into his face and he winds up exposing his magicalness to Arthur sometime, because it's driving me nuts.

And Mordred. Alive and well and not wanting to hurt people. Give me a Triple Goddess break. He wants Merlin dead. He's going to kill Arthur.

Merlin should have just sucked in his beautiful cheekbones and just STABBED Mordred to DEATH and have DONE with it. Going about it in loop dee loops and expecting someone else to do the job hasn't worked thus far, now has it?

Right now, I am fairly ticked off. I would almost swear off this show if it wasn't nearly done.

Next week: Morgana again. She never really stops, does she? Merlin runs. Arthur thinks. Gwen pouts. Oh, how I wish Merlin's magic would get revealed to someONE in the next couple of weeks.

Ta,
Bec

Making Drastic Decisions

I am clearly very sick of living with my parents.

It would explain why I am suddenly all in need to go back to school.

Here's my logical thinking on the topic (bear with me.)


1. I could linger on in Mum and Dad's house for another year, but I would be more unhappy than I am now, and no guaranteeing that I'm getting out anytime soon.

2. I could try to survive on my savings, but I would last about ten months to a year and be back here again completely broke this time.

3. I need experience in a public library. I'm not going to get that here. I'm 15 minutes out of town with no money and our library here is small. I have to go somewhere else.

4. So, I can go back to school again, this time getting a Bachelor's in History with a teaching emphasis (and possibly a minor in Library Media Specialist.) There are several different kinds of libraries in the world; right now I'm very qualified for college libraries and I need more experience in a public library (even volunteering would be better than nothing). I can't currently work at elementary or high schools because I need an education degree, and I can't work at a museum or archive place because I don't have a history degree.

The BA in history with teaching emphasis covers both-I won't teach with it, but I'd have those extra qualifications to apply for more jobs in my field. I will also then spend my spare time (what remains of it) volunteering a a public library to gain the experience I need, making me more qualified for that (and hopefully scoring a job when they see how awesome I am.)

One can hope that I come out of this with enough qualifications to get me hired in pretty much any library in the world.

I'm looking at two schools- Eau Claire (yes, I know. Been there, done that, graduated and everything) and Superior. Both have the public library within walking distance of the campus. I wouldn't have to take Gen Eds again, so I would take what I needed to take and no more. Financial aid would support me again until I found something either in school or out of it, but I could try to get hired in either a different department at Eau Claire (circulation didn't go so well the last time) or at the library in Superior.

So, that's the plan. I'm waiting on an e-mail from Superior on Monday and then I have to start applying already. Unless something else comes through, I'll move out in May and start school again in September.

Here we go again...

Bec

Round and Round We Go

Not much going on with me at the moment. The staffing company I'm signed up with has a potential two-month job in Rhinelander (meaning I'd stay here at home and work. No point in moving out for two months.) At the moment it doesn't appear like I got the one in Wausau (least that was what it sounded like) so the waiting begins again.

I posted new ideas on the Reichenbach Theories entry from January 31st (I'm not going to repost the entry every time I have an idea. I'll repost the whole mess when the elusive Series the Third of Sherlock actually bothers to show up (six months at the earliest till Watson socks Sherlock for being gone three years.) Just look up Reichenbach or something and you can find the entry with the new additions (it wasn't much; speculation on the diamond that Moriarty used to break into the glass at the Tower of London and the fact that Sherlock has to know where Moriarty has been the last few months thanks to the discussion on the roof.)

I'm watching Supernatural and contemplating breakfast for myself. I cooked a massive dinner yesterday almost single-handed-turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole- and the leftovers were immense. We're having leftovers tonight because there's so much of it. But there's no reason why I can't have some for breakfast.

I'm going to raid the fridge.

Ta,
Bec

Merlin Series 5, Episode 3: Uther Bangs Around Some Shelves

Merlin Series 5 Episode 3

Uther Comes Back From the Dead

Pros: Uther being Mr. Malevolent.
Cons: Feels fairly stale.































SPOILER LINE

Merlin and Arthur save an old woman from burning, only for her to die off two minutes later. Before she snuffs it, however, she gives Arthur a horn that summons the dead.

Give him a toy, and what does he do with it? Merlin should have taken the blasted thing away from him...

Arthur, being Arthur, wants to have a chat with dear old dead Dad. So he does whatever Gaius said to do (stupid), blows the little horn (stupider), and walks on through to have a visit with Uther (this kind of risky behavior always happens with him. Seriously. No wonder he and Merlin deserve each other.)

But Uther doesn't give him Christmas cards or a cake for visiting. In fact, he's downright bloody mean. He criticises everything Arthur has done the last three years since his dad was offed-marry Gwen, hire non-nobility for the Knights, the Round Table, being NICE to the citizens of Camelot, saving old women from burning...)

Uther says he still loves Arthur, which was always true even when Uther was being a complete dick to everyone else. Even when he locked him in the dungeons, he was doing it out of love for Arthur's own well-being, even when we all thought he was being a complete ass.

Arthur leaves the dead lands and goes home slightly depressed...and that's when trouble begins.

To be frank, it's not a lot of trouble. Poltergeisty. Mostly property damage. Some slammed doors, windows, and a bunch of shelves knocked over. He breaks the chandelier above the Round Table. Shoulder wound for Percy (lots of screen time for lovely muscled Percy and not much for everyone else but Leon), and head wounds for Arthur and Guinevere both (I remarked they had matching concussions along with everything else going on.) Gwen has a bit of smoke inhalation, too, and Merlin got spears through his coat.

It's actually sort of pathetic and I wish Uther had really bonked someone, but apparently 45 minutes and the fact this is a children's show means minor damage all around. And the guards finally had a week off from being murdered all the time or knocked out so someone could escape from jail again.

I do like how Arthur isn't as big an idiot as Uther, actually sees reason after Gwen gets concussed, and actually wants to fix the problem rather than make it worse.

The solution to get rid of Uther means a slightly comic moment where Merlin and Arthur have to drink nasty potion, but Gaius SHOULD have sternly reminded the two of them that if they want to let dead people out to knock around people and things, then they should DAMN well suck it up and drink the potion to be able to get rid of him.

So they drink the potion (it helps them see him.)

Merlin finds him first. And that's when Uther finds out he has magic. Of course this pisses him off most extremely. A SORCERER by his SON all this TIME? GETTTTTT HIIIIIIIIMMMMM...

Arthur finally decides he doesn't really need Dad's approval and banishes the old fool back to the dead, just as he screams that Merlin has m....

Yup. Cut him off mid-Big Humongous Reveal of the Century. This has happened so much I didn't even bother swearing anymore when it did. Sigh.

I don't see how this aids the overall plot any. Morgana's not going to be messing around with the horn since it's going into the Camelot vaults and won't come out again (and why would she summon Uther, anyway? She hates the man.) Unless she can get in another way and Uther is urgently trying to get through, there's no point to this.

Uther almost blowing Merlin's cover is the same old shite, different week. Come on. How many bad guys have been knocked off, blown up, or taken out with the knowledge that Merlin has magic and the ability to hand it to Uther or Arthur at any moment? Old hat. Boring. Play another card. Unless Arthur calls Merlin on it in the near future or unless you're planning on Uther busting through and wooshing it into someone's ear, not letting him finish the word 'magic' felt like the same old retread.

I don't particularly like the lack of apparent respect Arthur has for Merlin. This had better change fast. Merlin has proved himself a worthy friend and for heaven's sake, give him some credit, Arthur. Even without the knowledge of magic, who's with Arthur on his hunts more often than anyone else? Merlin. Who is at his side nearly 24-7? Merlin. Who does Arthur talk to more than anyone else about things he won't discuss even with Gwen? Merlin. Merlin is his closest and truest friend and he should bloody respect him already.

Next week: Mithian shows up and gets sick, Morgana gets banged (into a wall. Hopefully it's Merlin killing her again, and this time for permanent.) There's some fighting.

Really kind of silently hoping (not much, but some) that Morgana finds out Merlin has magic in next week's episode and gets all mad and angry and eye-flashy and stalky. You know. When she's really plotting and really angry, she walks like she's moving in on her prey.

Eh. Merlin will kill her anyway. Again.

Ta,
Bec

Arthur's Bane Review

My take on the recent Merlin two-parter. There are spoilers.






















SPOILER LINE


Arthur's Bane 1 and 2


I wasn't going to do a review for Merlin this year since I didn't do one for Doctor Who at all, but these two episodes...well...

PROS: Shirtless Percy, Gwaine, and others. Merlin's snarky.
CONS: What have they been growing in the caves at Ysmir?

Let's break it down into people, shall we?

Morgana: Three years have passed since she was "mortally" wounded. She's lost none of her bitchy, but taking over a whole abandoned castle and digging pits in the mud for three years is a tad bit wacky. That the thing she's looking for doesn't want to be found never seems to occur to her, nor apparently does the idea to give up and try another artifact.

I'm getting a little tired of the writers conveniently stabbing, bashing, or otherwise apparently killing off Morgana and then she miraculously reappears. This is about the fourth time (and the second in three episodes) and it gets old fast. Just have Mordred say no, OK?

I strongly dislike that Arthur gets to ask her why she's become such a nasty little person and all we get in answer is that Uther taught her hatred well. Come on, writers. She's monologuing like Dr. Octavius here-can we PLEASE get a better explanation than that? She could have snarled a meaning to her sudden nasty instead of giving Arthur ANOTHER concussion.

Also Arthur's reiteration that they're brother and sister isn't all that necessary, but Morgana consistently denying that Uther was her dad is getting a little old. He's her bio-father and I'm thinking she should really get over it.

Aithusa: I have no idea what's going on here. He's mute, so that would mean that Merlin can talk at him but the dragon can't talk back. Maybe he hasn't gotten his voice yet, maybe he lost it by hanging out with Morgana, or maybe he was born that way. Did Kilgarrah kick him out of the nest or did he leave? And how in bloody hell did Morgana find out his name if he's supposed to be MUTE???

After a rewatch of Merlin and Aithusa's interaction, I think he must have had his voice taken from him in some manner, because Merlin seems to realize there's some form of damage to Aithusa's voice. Maybe Kilgarrah and Aithusa had a falling out and Kilgarrah injured him so that he can't use his voice, thereby making him a pet to Morgana and not much else.

Arthur: Same old Arthur, same old story. Hasn't really changed in three years-still mildly arrogant and still doesn't listen to Merlin. He's still loyal to his men and a pain in the arse, but him and Merlin's banter was hilarious if you were able to catch some of it-Merlin has never been one to hold back on insulting Arthur at every turn and Arthur gives it right back to him.

Gaius: Barely here, but still doing his thing. I'm not predicting his death this year because they haven't done in four years and they ain't gonna do it now (famous last words.)

Merlin: Appears to be growing tired of Arthur not listening to him (surprise) and seems to be bursting to tell him that he's magical. Recall the moment at the beginning of Season 3 where Morgana was in the basement of Camelot calling up eternal fighting skeletons and you got the sense that Merlin was about to tell her everything but he balked? I had that feeling for the whole hour and a half these episodes were going on. He's also rasher with the magic in front of Arthur-he's not fearing his own demise as much as he used to, but then again Uther's been dead three years.

The whole predicted Arthur death thing is awful, yes, and Merlin's well aware that he needs to keep his fingers out of the Mordred-Arthur relationship and let the thing play out. Of course Arthur's his own worst enemy-he always has been in the past. Despite Merlin's attempts to protect him, Arthur has always walked head held high into danger and trouble, and even if Merlin told him to run if Mordred comes after you with a sword in his hand and an angry glint in his eyes, Arthur would see the thing as a challenge, fight Mordred, and get stabbed anyway. Uther created his own demise by denouncing magic and thereby pushing Morgana out, infuriating her and eventually leading her to kill him. He didn't know it would lead to that, but it did. In the same way, Arthur will unwittingly do something stupid and blind and unknowingly piss Mordred off, thereby sealing his fate at Camlann (if we're sticking to the legend here.)

I keep thinking that either Mordred has a bigger plan and he's lying his arse off, or he's actually really nice (ha ha) and Merlin's going to accidentally turn him into the bad guy by telling him too much. Plot will tell. I can't believe the writers would conveniently forget the fact that Mordred swore he'd never forgive Merlin for his betrayal, so I'm suspecting Mordred has a plan to get to Arthur by any means necessary.

Guinevere!-Looked like she'd gotten some of Uther's nasty in episode 1, but then the writers backtracked and made it look like Gwen was plotting. Somehow I think that's going to backfire in her face someday. They let the girl go pretty blatantly and she wasn't in a good mood because her dad had been killed off, and she's magical. Usually that means trouble.

In any case, Gwen was fairly nasty this time around and I was kind of surprised on a couple of counts-A) Arthur's actually given her some power and influence-he didn't have to. She's also a member of the Round Table and is in on secret meetings and the like. Betcha Igraine didn't get all that when she married Uther. B) Gwen's typical reaction in the old days was to be nice. Not anymore, not in front of the treasonous. Queen Gwen is a meanie and I would adore seeing her and Morgana meeting now-what a battle of wills that would be.

The See-Through Elfy Alien Thing With Smoker Voice: I had a hard time not laughing at the creature design on this one. This show has had some odd looking creatures (the chimaera that wasn't a chimaera but a lizard from Primeval, and the unicorn that looked like a horse dressing up for a Halloween party) but the Diamr has to take the cake. There's suspending my disbelief but even I couldn't go there with this-too out there even for me.

That's my review of Arthur's Bane 1 and 2. Next week: Uther comes back from the dead as a poltergeist. Let's hope he comes after Morgana...

Muse Tickets Redux

Here I am, five minutes from ten, sitting and waiting for Ticketmaster to let me buy Muse tickets.

After the hell I went through last tour trying and failing to get to a Muse concert, I am truly hoping I don't move too far away in the next five months, or I'll be in the panic station (Muse joke. Ignore me. Really.)

Four minutes to go...if I get this excited about buying the stupid ticket, how utterly off the wall am I gonna be on the night?

Three minutes. Good God, that clock is slow.

Two minutes. I'm shaking like a stupid leaf right now. This excitement is preposterous. I'm buying TICKETS. FOR A MUSE CONCERT.


One minute. Oh, hell. Don't let the power go out now...please...

Ta,
Bec

Internet Was Down

So my computer went out two Saturdays ago. The parents computer went out on Sunday. My computer mysteriously came back on Monday (suddenly it could find the operating system it lost.) The Internet seemed to have gone with it, no matter what I tried to do.

Today we got the broadband back at least, but the wireless is down because their computer is broken and I cannot fix it. One out of three ain't bad.

Also, I broke my cell phone about the same time because I whipped it down the stairs in the pocket of my jeans. They had barely left my hand when I realized the phone had taken flight with them...and there was nothing I could do to stop it from falling. The poor thing broke to pieces on the basement floor. The good news was that I broke it on a week when the Tracfones were on sale. I have a shiny, new cell phone that I can now text on, because I couldn't at all with the last one.

I may have a job; I'll know as early as tomorrow.

Muse tickets for Minneapolis in March go on sale Saturday (glee glee glee) so I might go. We have to talk about these things.

I have written three poems and I have not typed up any of them, but I'm working on it.

Kitty is sleeping in the bedroom, not on one of the two shelves we gave him or the two beds he now owns, but in the middle of the bed on the blanket Mom said he could have half-custody of (oh ha.)

What else is happening? The new Muse CD is good; I've been listening to it (Panic Station's been playing nonstop in my head for three days at least.)

Rewatched Baskerville and realized Moriarty had the diamond in the cell with him (scratched Sherlock's name on the mirror.) Wonder how he got that in there without Mycroft's goons noticing??? Wonder if Mycroft realized it?

Ta,
Bec

Bored Saturday

Not much going on with me. Mystic is getting mighty tired of me dragging him out of the bedroom and forcing him to eat, so he did it himself last night. He jumps at loud noises and flees when something out of the ordinary happens, but he's so much better than two weeks ago when we got him. Once he gets over this chickenkitty phase, I think he'll be much happier.

Spritey got to take recyclables to the dump with Mum and I this morning, so she was happy...until she realized mean old Becky Bean wasn't planning on sharing her chicken salad on corn tortilla. Now she's in the kennel pouting.

Mum is trying to answer a survey but no one's answering her. How bloody typical.

I am doing nothing at the moment; job stuff is at a dead stop and doesn't seem to be picking up again. I am so bored.

Meanwhile, Amy and Rory are leaving Doctor Who today. As awful as it is when companions go and as sad as it's gonna be, I'm eager to see what the new companion has to ruffle the Doctor's feathers at Christmas. I wish I had fish fingers and custard but that's still disgusting even after three seasons.

I think I cleaned up the mess I made of the kitchen this morning. We don't have a Starbucks around here, and all my friends on Facebook have been simply raving about the Pumpkin Spice Lattes that I cannot get ahold of because, HELLO, we don't have a Starbucks in Rhinelander.

So what does one do when one can't have what one wants? One makes it.

My first attempt was an unmitigated disaster. There was not enough sugar and it wasn't sweet enough even with tons of sweet in it. So I found a different recipe and tried again. This time the flavoring was right.

Here's a link to the one that worked. You make the syrup part and then, because I didn't have espresso, I mixed the straight coffee with it little by little until I was happy with the balance. Since everyone's tastes are different, I figure everyone wants a different balance of syrup with coffee and milk. I am so blasted picky when it comes to coffee-I have to have it mixed with loads of other stuff to make it palatable.

I also halved the batch because it makes a lot of syrup. Next time I think I'll quarter it-I still had a lot left over.

http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte-copycat-includes-syrup-recipe/

Mom's wrapping hamburger and I have to go help.

Ta,
Bec

5 Years of Blogging (And a Week. And A Day.) And Muse, Too.

A few birthday announcements:

Yes, this blog thing became 5 years old last week (it was the 13th, so I flubbed it by a week.) Missed it entirely due to furry grey kitties and suchlike getting in the way of my attention span (Mystic's fine, by the way. Just had a treat and is hiding under the bed.)

Another anniversary to announce-My 5th Muse anniversary. Although I was into Muse before this date five years ago, this weekend was the one where I rediscovered them, so we're considering this day the day I jumped into the bandwagon. Pun completely intended.

And go find Animals and Muse on Youtube and prepare to have your hair stand up on the back of your neck (the first live play just came out, so there might be a studio version to find if you're seeing this a couple weeks after I wrote it.) It's stunningly, splendiferously wonderful.

PS: And then go find Panic Station, Unsustainable, and Madness. This is going to be a good CD...

Spritey's half birthday is coming up the day the next Muse album comes out, and I think we'll celebrate it. I hate to sound morbid on what should be a happy blog entry, but she may not be around next April and so even a half-year extra is a milestone in itself. (She's fine, too, by the way. The sun's shining so she's outside.)

I'm making GF, flourless oatmeal-raisin cookies for a friend who has his actual birthday today (but I'm going to be over there tomorrow, so he'll just have to wait a day.) Unfortunately because I'm in the mood to test new recipes, he gets to be my guinea pig on these. I've been looking for a GF oatmeal cookie recipe and now that I've found one, I will exploit it to the best of my abilities.

And I should have greased the wax paper, because now there is a host of cookies stuck to the paper and unable to come off without falling apart. Good thing the slightly more baked ones came off more easily, so my friend will get those. Also, these need cinnamon next time.

Link to the original recipe because I didn't change it at all: http://glutenfreeeasily.com/flourless-oatmeal-cookies/

I think a teaspoon of cinnamon added.

There's light in the tunnel on the job front. I'll wait before I make big announcements, but I may have actually done something stupid and gotten a job out of it. Just waiting for the punchline.

Will let you know what's up when there's stuff that's up!

Ta,
Bec

First Day Home Alone With The Cat

My fingers are slightly better this morning and my knee barely hurts at all. Mystic's sitting up by the window soaking up the light (and blocking it with his big gray furry behind) but we've had a good morning so far. He's been cool as a cucumber; he's sitting on the large stuffed tiger we have in the living room and doesn't look like he's planning to move an inch from where he's plonked himself. Apparently nagged Mom all night (again) and sneezed on me at half-past 5 this morning. Nothing like a little kitty snot to start the day...

Sprite's outside because in her mind, the weather is perfect. Slightly too cold for us is lovely for her.

Here's hoping Mystic's first day at home with me is a quiet one.

Ta,
Bec

Mystic Tiger Koshak

Mum has been wanting a new(er) pet for months. It's taken a while to accept Whisper's going and we weren't ready before. We went through the different puppy places, and considered other options, until finally we went to the local shelter.

There was a collie mix there; very affectionate but neither Mom nor I felt like the dog would get on well with Spirit. However, as Ma filled out the paperwork, we spotted a gray cat hiding behind the furniture in the corner.

That night as we were driving home, she confessed to me that the dog hadn't sparked her interest, but the cat had.

By the next afternoon, Mum had decided the cat was coming home with us. So he did. He's a bit older; just over 7 years old, so he isn't a bouncing baby. He's been extremely laid back the entire time-we haven't heard a hiss or a snarl. Spritey and him got on marvelously right from the off (that had both of us breathing a sigh of relief.) The only problem we're having now is that A) he found a hiding spot under my sister's bed and has claimed it as his new "cat cave," and B) he kept Mum up half the night needing reassurance and petting as he slept on her bed.

He loves being petted and his purr is constantly "on," making him easy to find under the bed because you can hear the rumbling going (didn't think a purr could be so bloody LOUD.) When I hold him, it's like holding a small furry (fat) engine (he needs to lose some weight. He ripples. We'll work on it.)

I'll post pictures that I finally got to take this morning; he spent most of yesterday hiding out.

And on other fronts, while my knee is better this morning (yay) my right hand is now misbehaving. My fingers are stiff and feel swollen again. Can I get a day off?

Sigh.

Ta,
Bec

Still Down But Maybe Getting Out

Still having trouble. I washed the living room windows this morning and I really shouldn't have. Even with painkillers it was too much. I might be sitting in the back in church tomorrow just so I can stretch out my offended limb and not kick anyone.

I think I'm going to rest a lot longer than I want to today so I can walk for stuff tonight.

Meanwhile, I have some other important things to do. I'm not sure where I'm at right now because this company wants to hire me and I'm doing all the hiring formalities now, but I have no clue where they'll send me or when they'll give me a position. It's not a library, but at least I'll be working.

There's some good news if I get a job immediately though-I found an apartment that's POINT 2 miles away from work...that is, if I get the job in the next few days where I think I'm going to get it. We shall see.

I really hope I get better soon, because if I have to move with this going on, I'm going to be miserable.

Ta,
Bec

Knee On Vacation

My right knee has done it again. It decided to swell a bit and be painful and just generally make my life difficult. I'll be better by Monday, but I've never wanted a weekend to go by this much. I'm pretty wobbly and bending it is painful enough to remind me not to do it again.

Fortunately, I did everything this week I'd intended to do before this started up again (cleaning on Wednesday and choir last night) and I didn't have anything planned for tomorrow. I'm going to wear my brace tonight (Mom and I were planning on checking out a free meal thing in town) so I don't screw up my OTHER knee while trying to ignore the stabbing pains in the right one.

I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do-resting, icing, taking painkillers, and being frustrated.

Like I said, by Monday I'll be fine again, but I needed to vent.

SIGH.

Why can't I have a year off from this once in a while?

SIGH SIGH SIGH.

I'll write soon, since there's not much else I can do right now.

Ta,
Bec

Stuff Is Breaking Down Around Here Again...

This was what I did in the early part of today...this is my Facebook status with extra stuff added in...

The power wasn't working under the computer desk (meaning wireless, power to the main computer et al wasn't going.) Since the usual fixes weren't working, I figured it was the surge protector. I had to cut the old surge protector in half, (help) move the desk, lift up the plywood, carve a hole in the wall, rip the paneling off the separator wall, shove the new cord through, plug it all it in, nail the paneling back into place, move everything back (with help again)...and it still didn't work. For a bit, I hooked the wireless to a different plugin, but Internet was a problem because people might have needed to walk down the hallway and that's where the cord was.

Twenty minutes after I put this as my Facebook status, Dad fixed the problem by plugging in the woodstove fan downstairs. This after we destroyed a surge protector and wasted valuable time and energy trying to fix the problem.

And repeats are always welcome...a year ago tomorrow I applied at the University of Leicester. And today I applied at...you guessed it. Same place, same job all over again. I also applied at Utah State again.

So far today, the computer has broken down, the tractor quit working, the golf cart ran out of gas, and the phone is dead. The good news is, two of those things fixed themselves, the third is easy to remedy. The fourth is a question at the moment but these things happen.

Let's hope the damn phone fixes itself.

Ta,
Bec

Note from the day after: All the messing around with the computer slightly unplugged a cord on the phone modem. So after calling the phone company trying to get it fixed, the robo-voice lady told me to check the modem. And then I felt like a damn fool when I plugged it in.

Finally I Have Slowed Down A Little

My sister has gone back to school. The other sister has a cat named Ninja. My music files are finally cleaned up. The laundry is done. I have watched Sherlock, but won't watch another because there's something else I'm going to watch (it's still got Ben in it, don't worry.)

I might actually get some writing in the computer this week if I can find a quiet moment. Next week for sure as there'll be plenty.

I have to go pop popcorn for my big movie that I've waited weeks and months to see.

Ta,
Bec

Kaled

I have been working at my aunt and uncle's all week because my cousin is getting married at their house next weekend. My aunt and uncle are not in the best of health and need help with some gardening and some housework; I was glad to help since I had nothing else to do.

They have a massive garden and I came home today with stuff. Tomatoes, a couple peppers, some broccoli, and a leafy thing called kale.

I've heard of the stuff, seen it around. Never tried it though. I'm usually not that much of a chicken when it comes to food (among the things I've tried-baby octopus and goat,) but I just never cared enough to try.

But with an armload of the stuff, it appeared to be the day where I tried it.

I knew from being around that the stuff could be made into chips; I had no idea how so I researched the recipe. Easy. First one was doable and ridiculously simple.

And so here I sit, the entire leafy load of kale has been reduced to these little crispy green chips because SOMEONE ate pretty much every single one of them.

I did save a bag for my aunt and uncle to try, but the rest are mine and it appears they won't even get cold.

I'll probably get more tomorrow because they have tons of it and if I like it, well, there we go.

Gotta eat these now-they are calling my name and I'm gonna answer.

Ta,
Bec

Camping 2012

Well, vacation was about as miserable as it could be. My sisters decided to pick on me for most of it and ruined the whole resting thing it was supposed to be. Believe me, I won't be going on family vacations for a long, long time...possibly never.

The only slightly funny thing that happened was, of course, Spirit. We were playing Pit, which for those who don't know is a stock market game where you try to get all of the Corn, Wheat, Barley, Rye, or Oats. You trade the cards you don't want and get the ones you do, and when you have the 9 of one set you ring the bell and end trading. Trading involves a good bit of yelling because you're trying to make your voice heard over four others.

Well, Spritey was on her chain, which allowed her to go all the way from basically one end of the campsite to the other. The first round she walked all the way over to one end, as far away as she could get from us that way. Then the second round she came back our way and tried to go as far the other way as she could.

By the third round, Spritey had gotten herself mired in the bushes by the front end of the campsite, and she was trying to go further away.

So I went over there to get her out of trouble because she looked stuck, and when I went to pick her up, she walked away from me a little bit like she was afraid.

OK, Spritey has always been a little weird. Whatever. She looked a bit stressed, so I tried to wrap her in a hug.

And found our little dog was shaking from terror.

Wouldn't you know, a shouting card game set her off. We waited a few minutes while she calmed down, then played one more round and found she headed right back to the bushes when let go.

That was it. No more Pit with Spirit around. It took forever for her to start feeling more calm and less uptight.

Spirit's had a bad day today, too. So far...

She's been bathed
Had her nails clipped
Had her ears cleaned
Been brushed
Had tick medication put on her back

I would include the heartworm medication, but she likes that. Mum wanted to wash her one more time before it gets cold because Spritey is older, doesn't handle cold well, and it takes an eternity for her to dry out after a bath.

I did get some writing done while away (not enough.) I'll hopefully be typing it up soon.

Talk to you all soon,

Bec

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

So, vacation is imminent. The stuff's kind of all over the place in one specific area. Ra's arrived. They're eating pizza (I'm having peanut noodles.) I'm drinking my pink lemonade Metamucil fake-sugary slog (o the joy.)

Tomorrow we pack. My personal packing is pretty much complete-there are things that can't go together till the last minute like my toothbrush and my medicines.

Been watching Farscape and I'm kinda digging the commentaries.

Hoping that the next week brings a new rush of writing. I'll post a rundown when I return.

Ta,
Bec

Farscape!

Mum and I went rummage sale shopping yesterday. I didn't find much for myself; she got a kennel for Ra's new kitty and a bed for Spritey (she won't use it) and a few other things.

My big score of the day happened at a church rummage sale. We were walking up, and what to my wondering eyes did appear but Farscape Season 1.

To say I snatched it up and handed over the money would be an accurate statement.

I've loved Farscape for a long time. Unfortunately I caught on AFTER they'd gone off the air, but I've managed to catch a few episodes online here and there (good luck finding them on any telly here in the States.)

The set was 5 bucks, which is actually a very decent price. The entire box set would have cost 60-something, so divide that by four and a half (to include the movie that wraps things up) and yes. Very, very decent deal.

I'm happy. I've watched a little bit and I know already I'm gonna have to refer to a list every time I want to read a list of the plots because there wasn't one included.

It's not practical for me to get the full set right now, but I'm perfectly happy watching my way through Season 1.

Now I have to go. I have cookies to start baking this morning for a friend.

Ta,
Bec

Gitanjali

Finally, it got here. Been waiting all damn week.

I was reading a fanfiction last Sunday night and came across some of the most gorgeous poetry I have ever encountered. Honestly.

It's easy to get a copy online, of course, but I like a nice paper version in my hands. Silly old-fashioned me. I went online and paid about 5 bucks (mostly for shipping; the book was about 30 cents.)

The book is called Gitanjali, and it's by a Bengali poet named Rabindrinath Tagore. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, but unfortunately I had never heard of him until last weekend.

I'll post a PDF of it here so that you can read at your leisure (it's public domain so I can do that.) I suggest not rushing through it.

http://www.ics.uci.edu/~ashish/tagore-rabindranath-1861-1941_gitanjali.pdf

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Ta,
Bec Koshak

PS: Okay, here's a schedule of things that are happening either the last week of September or the first week of October. Try to keep up...

Saturday, 29th September-Merlin returns for what should be the last full series. (Sniff. Might not be the total end, though. We might get movies.)

Monday, 1st October -Lego Lord of the Rings for Wii comes out. (May seem random, but I have been waiting all my life to play Aragorn as a LEGO figure. I really have. I'm saving my pennies to buy the damn game outright because it sounds so COOL and I have a WII...)

AND also on 1st October: 2nd Law by Muse comes out. (It's so weird that they're putting this thing out on a MONDAY...shouldn't it be a TUESDAY?)

Wednesday, 3rd of October-Supernatural returns. (Purgatory!!!)

We don't yet have a premiere date for Doctor Who-they're screening it at the end of this month but have yet to give us an actual date when it winds up on the telly. My prediction is that it'll come out either nearer the end of September or it'll arrive 7 weeks before Christmas (the absolute last minute,) which would be the last week of October/first week of November. The good news is, we won't be waiting longer than that-they're debuting the new companion at Christmas and since Amy and Rory are leaving in 7.5, that means they have to be gone before she turns up.

Since they usually do the screening about two to three weeks before they air it, I think it's safe to say late September is a good time for Daleks.

So, end of September and beginning of October seems busy all of a sudden. I bet (because my luck works out like this) I'll get a job during September (snort ha ha snort) and I'll be moving that week and I will miss everything. Because that's what happens in my life. All the marbles roll down at once.

Ta,
Bec

Parsi Eggs

So last year I tried out this recipe that I heard tell of when a certain Mr. Cumberbatch turned up on a morning show and chopped onions in a way I have never seen onions chopped before.

If you want to see the clip for yourself, here it is. Watch a gorgeous man chop onions backwards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG0F2rnKS08

I mean, he was awesome chopping onions the wrong way, but I got interested in the recipe that the chef on the show was making, mostly because at the time I was looking for gluten-free options and these scrambled eggs were.

And so I went on a little search. And found this one for one person...

Parsi Eggs

1 tablespoon of ghee, butter or oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger
Large pinch of chilli flakes (I leave these out of mine)
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
1 small tomato, chopped
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk or water
Sea salt
1/4 tsp. coriander

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and chili flakes and ginger and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes until the onions have a tinge of gold to them.

Add the turmeric and cumin and cook a further minute. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook for two minutes.

Turn the heat down a fraction and add the egg mixture, a pinch of salt, and coriander. Stir gently until the eggs begin to set in places. You are aiming for a creamy texture rather than hard bullets. Serve on hot, buttered toast.

Ta,
Bec

Stupid Rover

Let's not feed kids in Africa,
Let's not put gas in people's cars
Let's spend a trillion million dollars
And land a rover on Mars.

There are diseases needing curing
There are people needing care
But we're too busy building robots
To ever have to share.

I'm reminded that we are selfish
When we keep funding away
When other countries are starving to death
We landed on Mars today.


Yes, I wrote this on Facebook this very morning. I'm of the belief that we should fix the problems here rather than spending money doing something that doesn't benefit humanity in the short term. A lot of money was thrown at this project that could have benefited humanity in the short term-why couldn't it have gone for research on drought-resistant crops or something? Why did we toss a huge metal and computerized ball into the sky and waste all that money?

Meanwhile, I am listening to music and waiting on a phone call. Not much to do around here today-floors are clean, dishes are done, dinner doesn't need prep for hours yet, garbage burning is caught up...we might be going to the dump today, but I have to wait for the car to come back.

And the picnic was fun, but less people showed up, and bad planning meant that the sunflower seed spitting contest didn't happen because most of the people who would have competed were busy playing Outburst, and the rest of them left. I protest. Move it back to the park!

Boy, am I opinionated today! :)

Ta,
Bec

Plum City Says No.

Got a no from Plum City today. Got a little upset. I didn't get all that worked up when the other place said no the other day, but then I was really hoping for this one.

I really pushed myself hard today. Was awake at 5 watching some movie about Darwin with Paul Bettany in it when who should turn up but Ben Cumberbatch with sideburns and glasses and his own red hair. What a cutie. Too bad he was only in the movie for about three seconds.

Then from 8-12 I was making a potato salad for tomorrow's picnic on the school playground (on the PAVEMENT! What happened to the GRASS and the TREES and the LAKE we used to have?)

Oh, right. Some genius decided that people should be on pavement instead of nice fluffy green grass and CHANGED everything. Instead of being on a nice trimmed lawn, it's going to be on BLACKTOP. Oh, ICK.

Then from 2-6 I was working.

Then from 6-7 I was packing for tomorrow, beCAUSE we have to bring our own stuff for this shebang. Not enough that they fuddled with it, now they're making us bring our own FORKS, too.

Mum and Dad will be back soon. I am tired. I think I'm going to eat so I can take my medication, sit down, and not move for the rest of the day.

Ta,
Bec

August! Still HERE!

So, busy doing nothing. Writing is at a standstill again (I'm hoping for a burst of inspiration on vacation in a couple of weeks. Oh ha.)

I should go bake something.

Job front is quiet as all hell. I applied for a job here in town, but given the IQ of my competition, I wasn't entirely surprised I lost out on it. As someone at dinner the other night said, they want a dummy, someone who'll actually stay in town for several years. I'm not planning on it.

There is one option I am considering at the back of my head right now, but a lot of things have to go right for me to do it. I just thought of it. I don't want to spend more money, but dammit I've got to find something.

Gotta go look around at stuff.

Ta,
Bec

Considering Options

I'm doing better. The job thing is still a mess (I got a no from Shawano this week) and I'm honestly considering Peace Corps. There's no way I can do the actual military thanks to my crap joints, unless they could let me skip boot camp (not happening.) I have bad knees and a bad shoulder and while I could handle it emotionally and spiritually, physically is impossible.

So there ain't no job coming and I can't join the Air Force, so my next choice is Peace Corps. All I can hope is that they have a place for me.

Not much else going on-did VBS this week and helped the kids do crafts. Between the glue-crazy preschoolers and the extremely quiet preteens and teenagers, it was fun and exhausting and I hope I won't be here to do it next year, because that means I'll have gone nowhere.

I'm going to go do something, so

Ta,
Bec

Abject Misery

I have spent the last few days pretty miserable. I seem to always be the butt of private jokes between my mother and sister, and either I am treated like I'm some sort of imbecile or I'm treated like everyone's scapegoat to lay blame on (the Internet broke this morning and my sister blamed me, then when it fixed itself she didn't even apologize.) I've been picked on all weekend until I fought back, then I get into trouble. Mum does this to other people but apparently I can't do it back to her, cannot even defend myself.

If this keeps up for much longer, job or no job, I'm moving out. I will not be the carpet everyone walks on. I'll starve to death first.

I am very lonely and very miserable and I don't know how much more crap I can take. I just want peace.

I hope I can talk to you all soon. This is going to be a rough week if certain people don't lay off of me and stop picking on me.

Ta,
Bec

Tired and Disappointed

For the last several weeks, we've been attempting to get our "free" hot tub going. We brought the thing over from the neighbors, who had bought the house but no longer wanted the tub.

So far, we've had the electrician out here three times and the hot tub expert twice. We have called numerous times trying to get this thing up and running.

The hot tub guy came and tore out the stuff we didn't need today, and replaced the busted valve, AND got it running...

At least while he was here. Now the thing won't run.

I have spent all day working on that thing and IT WON'T RUN. I have absolutely not a clue as to why it won't but it won't. Now I have it full of (cold) water so that we can get the scuzz out of the pipes and it simply refuses to go.

I am tired and sweaty and mad and disappointed and I want to eat my dinner, take a shower, and not think about the thing for awhile.

Meanwhile, nothing on the job front. No rejections all week (but no interview offers, which I guess constitutes a draw) and nothing else going on.

SIGH.

I just jumped a mile because the vent in the bathroom started. Silly me. Did I actually think we could get the damned thing running without fifty million phone calls and a hell of a lot of suffering?

Gotta go flick some switches again. I live in hope.

Ta,
Bec

PS: Forgot to mention that I did something absolutely insane the other day concerning Prince Within (which is slowly progressing, but at least it's getting there.) I made a family tree of my characters...and managed somehow to link the main five together as relatives. Check it out here:

A little clarification: The five main ones I was referring to are: Tiernan, Einin, Caedmon, Carden, and Amon (who later becomes Antiphos Nox.) The rest of the characters are either dead or die during the course of the story (Roland would be that one.) Plagues and massacres prune family trees right down to nothing, don't they?

Tiernan is the main character; Einin might wind up with him (haven't written the end yet and them being together is still very much in doubt.)

The Camyeises and Soluses come out of the same small group that crashed into a small island just off the coast of Caoimhe a thousand years ago. The Shrathshires are one of a dozen noble families that emerge out of these lines. I just didn't bother to analyze the rest seeing as the Shrathshires are the immediately important family line I needed to deal with and the rest would be busywork and didn't need to be done.

Also note: They don't always marry each other; there's a heap of commoners that have randomly produced magical abilities and they wind up joining the Solus clan first in training of their abilities, and then in marriage or taking the name and becoming Soluses anyway. The Camyeises are a bit more picky; they're more likely to marry nobility or marry Soluses since they don't really mix with the regular people as often as their magical relatives do. And yes, some Camyeises have been magical, but the last lot have been duds as far as that goes (Tiernan included) but maybe the next generation (hint hint) will produce some sparks.

I said the clans were close, but until I linked them together the other day, I had no idea how much. This whole scenario took two hours to set together (gathering names, getting the right amount of Soluses for how many cousins, uncles, aunts, and other people I produced earlier on and had to live up to, etc. etc.)

Having this is going to help me (and maybe the reader) understand Caedmon's motivations (always a deep and endless topic of discussion.) Now there's not just the Soluses that have been murdered; there's the Camyeises, too. I think out of everyone, Caedmon is quickly becoming my favorite character. He has suffered losses beyond what any human, powers or no, should be expected to take, and yet he still wants to do things the right way and end Carden's reign not out of revenge, but because it's the right thing to do.

I could go on for days about this story because there's that much material here, but you probably have things to do.

You'll all get to read it someday; don't worry. I'm trying to finish it!

Ta,
Bec

Lord of the Rings Platinum

Sorry I've been quiet the last few days. Yesterday in particular was mad around here and unfortunately a lot happened but a lot didn't get done.

I have been rejected for jobs twice in the last two days. I'm getting a remarkably thick skin about these sorts of things-there have been too many of them for me to even register all the rejections.

Meanwhile, I splurged a little and ordered copies of the LotR Platinum editions I've been wanting forever. They are gorgeous. I bought them used, so I paid ten bucks for all three, and then ten for shipping (versus 100 for them new.) These have the extended editions that I particularly prefer (why on Earth would you get the theatrical editions when you can have more?)

Despite my usual reservations with movie interpretations, I think Jackson was left with quite a mountain to climb and he manages it better than anyone else currently could.

How do you take a story this big and wide and condense it down into something coherent and palatable to an audience?

Gonna go watch this.

Talk to you soon,
Bec Koshak

For God's Sake, Johnson, Did You READ My E-MAIL At All?

It's boiling everywhere, but we at least have power.

Meanwhile, Ron Johnson wrote back to me. The slimeball.

This is an example of how NOT to answer a constituent's question...

Dear Rebecca,

Thank you for contacting me about healthcare reform and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

The passage of PPACA was one of the driving forces in my decision to run for the Senate. I was hoping the Supreme Court would strike down the whole law, unfortunately, the Court has thrown this back into the political arena.

The Court's decision establishes that there is no area of Americans' private lives that is off limits to federal intrusion and control. The fate of this unpopular law is now in the hands of the American People and your elected representatives in Washington. I am entirely committed to repealing PPACA, preserving what works in our health care system, and working to improve what does not. Now, more than ever, we need to make the case that the President's health care law will be a disaster for our health care system and for our budget.

If this law is fully implemented, it will result in rationing, lower the quality of care, and dramatically decrease medical innovation. That is the inevitable result of government run, socialized medicine. It will also lead to trillions of dollars of deficit spending over the next two decades because the cost of this new entitlement has been significantly underestimated. We simply can't afford it.

You have my pledge that I will work to repeal the President's health care law and focus on health care policies that center on bringing private market solutions to satisfy the needs of patients and families.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is important for me to hear the views and concerns of the people I serve. Since taking office, I have received over 500,000 pieces of correspondence and have had over 200,000 participants in live forums and telephone town hall meetings. Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can further assist you or your family. It is an honor representing you and the good people of Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate.


Sincerely,


Ron Johnson
United States Senator

HE MISSED THE POINT! I don't want the damn thing repealed. Didn't I make that perfectly clear in my letter? I want the health care act to stay. I only wrote 6 long paragraphs on why we HAVE to have health care. Private market solutions won't work if they haven't so far. I would prefer it universal.

Apparently writing a senator is a useless exercise because all you get is a formulaic full of bull letter that he sends to all the other people who are mad at him for being a twit.

Ta,
Bec

Is Complaining

OK, so I've dealt with this long enough, and I think I've earned the right to let fly. I'm sending an open complaint to Walmart about the atmosphere in their stores.

Granted, I don't really have anywhere else in town I can go. With approximately four grocery stores in town (counting Merit's and Aldi), you really haven't got much choice.

In Durham I used to go to Walmart simply because it was on the busline and it was therefore easy to reach.

But the problem I have with Walmart isn't the size, the selection, the prices, or even where their merchandise comes from.

No, it's the ads.

The constantly screaming blaring BUY THIS BUY THIS ads on the ends of the aisles.

YOU may be able to ignore these awful things, but I hear them pounding in my brain like drums when I'm trying to think in the store. Buying food often takes consideration, and when you have a math disability and concentration issues to begin with, it's a bit of an issue when all your brain can process is that stupid lemonade ad at the end of the aisle with the stupid woman giving the stupid child his stupid lemonade.

I started going in Walmart with headphones on with the music playing so that I could cut down my level of distraction/agitation to a reasonable level. Otherwise I'd get home taut as a high wire act because of all the noise slamming into my brain. The constant stress actually hurts after awhile and I get extra tired when I'm wound up.

I've told you before what this feels like sometimes. It's like having bright lights shining in your eyes while the radio, the TV, and the Internet all blare at top volume. You can't process all the noise; your brain is boggled and upset and yeah, that's how it feels to be in Walmart trying to shop without headphones. Try doing it for a half-hour, or an hour. It makes you want to run away somewhere.

I just want the damned ads to stop. No one really watches them and I find them rude and intrusive and annoying as all hell. I don't expect Walmart to have a warm, comfortable atmosphere ever, because they just wouldn't, but the noisy TV screens at the end of the aisles can vamoose as far as I'm concerned. I have to watch ads at home and that's bad enough; don't make me listen to them while I buy food, too!

Believe you me, if Walmart wasn't ad matching, I wouldn't have even been in there. There's too many people and too many ads making a racket and I would rather go to Trig's where there just isn't all that.

But if I get somewhere where another store is easier to access, you bet your rumblebuttons that I'll be going there even if the Walmart is sitting next door to it. I would rather have a smaller grocery store with less choice than be in that loud offensive mess of a warehouse, thank you very much.


And that's what I have to say about it. What do you think? (Stargate joke. Bonus points if you can remember WHICH episode!)

Ta,
Bec



PSST: Window of Opportunity, Daniel. He said it about fifteen times thanks to the time loop.

Health Care Mandate Passed. I Breathe A Sigh of Relief.

I am glad the health care mandate was upheld. I, more than most my age, have been sick enough to need medical care that cost too much, and I often had to sign up for Community Care or pay out the full bill.

I've actually forgone medical care in the last few years because I simply did not have the money to go to the doctor on a regular basis. I haven't been to the dentist in at least 5 years because while I need a checkup, if my teeth aren't sore/in a bad condition, I can't afford the money to go. Same holds true for physical therapy (supposed to see someone every six months for the muscle knot in my shoulder), regular health exams (every year) and seeing a rheumatologist (same as regular health exams.) I don't have the money, I don't have insurance, I don't want to pay out for some damn exam when I could be saving to get the hell out of here. And lucky me, I have preexisting conditions that insurance probably would bump my rates up for (arthritis that could come back, fibromyalgia, and a bit of mental stuff that they'd most likely get me for.)

With this law in place, they can't do that anymore. I am equal to any other HEALTHY 26 year old in this country, and health insurance companies can't discriminate against me for something I cannot help.

There are things I believe need to be checked but I don't have the money for these things so they've been delayed. I want to have a neuropsych doctor test me for Asperger's (it's a vanity thing, but I'd like to know for sure). I want an MRI of my right shoulder and right elbow - there's clearly arthritic damage to both (narrowing of the spaces where my nerves and blood vessels run into my arm) and I want to know how much-I still can't set this elbow down on a table without being in pain after 4 years and this shoulder is getting more temperamental with every year that passes (as in every time it threatens rain!) X-rays have never shown anything but it didn't on the left wrist either, not until they did an MRI and found the microscopic etchings on my bones.) I know I have a bone spur underneath my collarbone there...what's to say there wasn't more that the X-rays couldn't pick up?

These things aren't much and they might not help me, but I would like to know for certain that I'm not slowly losing function in this arm because of scarring or whatever. I don't want to get two or three decades down the road and find out that I need surgery to save my arm. I have enough autoimmune stuff going on I don't need that as well.

I think I've said enough for today. Probably time to let the doggie out.

Ta,
Bec

95% Are Covered? Since When?

A letter that I sent to Senator Ron Johnson this morning because he said 95% of Wisconsinites were covered/had access to health care. I say, give me a break.


Hi,

You stated on CNN this morning that 95% of the people in this state have access to health care. I'm sorry, but from my point of view here in the poorhouse it doesn't look that way. My family doesn't have health care because we can't afford the cost of it; HIRSP has given us the runaround because of preexisting conditions; my father's boss thinks it's too expensive to have insurance, and if my father, God forbid, had an accident tomorrow off of work, we would go broke trying to help him. I had to spend the last three months in pain because I was trying to avoid the bill that would ensue should I go to the doctor (or worse yet, the Community Care, which requests me to dredge up every scrap of information on myself so that part of my bill is covered.) I finally couldn't stand it anymore and went in, and the problem was a simple one that could have been fixed months ago if I'd only had the money to do it.

Sir, there are a hundred thousand people sitting on the Badgercare list, waiting for help. I had to re-submit mine after two years because they hadn't gotten to me yet. My cousin was immediately covered for having a child out of wedlock, yet because I went to school and acquired a Master's degree, I have no health care. I have preexisting conditions and therefore would have to pay an exorbitant price for my care; since I'm unemployed, I don't have the resources to shell out thousands for health insurance.

We are suffering, Senator. I'm so glad you have health care and don't have to worry about your family's problems, but if one of my family get really sick, it could mean we lose everything we own. Politicians seem to have forgotten the little people, the people who have to let their teeth rot out of their heads because they can't afford to go to the dentist or let their feet swell and ache because they're not covered for medical care. I see them every month at the Table, a free meal at the end of the month they hold here in Rhinelander- the poor and struggling people of this area who are grateful for a free meal offered by local groups. Would you go into that room and tell those people that they have health care; that 95% of them are covered? I think not. I think it's the other way around-95% of them are not covered, they are not taken care of, they are without health care and without a safety net.

Senator, we need something to keep my family from a health care disaster, to keep us afloat should my father or my sister get ill. At least someone out there is trying to help us. It seems like your friends in the GOP don't want to. I would rather pay high income taxes as the British do and know I'm covered should I get sick again, rather than be broke and scared that my illness will come back and bankrupt me.

There was a story a few years back of a young reality star in the UK who was dying of cancer. The difference between her final days and those of a U.S. citizen in a similar position were striking- instead of spending her time fearing for medical bills and worrying that someone might not be able to pay the price for dying, this young British woman was able to accept donations from the public for her two sons to go to college. She was able to go peacefully without financial worries. If that had been here, the money would have gone for bills. I have church friends that have spent two decades paying for their deceased daughter's final bills. Twenty years, Senator. And they had health insurance.

You need to come down off the mountaintop and see what's going on down here on the ground, because it's not a wine and roses party. Health care is something we shell out for all the time in my household, and it's too damn expensive. This is not a game; this is people afraid literally for their lives. If you and other politicians would stop fighting with each other and being so obtuse as to think we are swallowing these statistics when you toss them out, maybe then this country could get back on the rails again.

Sincerely,
Bec Koshak

By the way, the young reality star I mentioned mid-letter was Jade Goody. She died about three years back, but the thing that struck me was not that she was young like me (27 when she died) but that she could take the public donations given to her and bequeath them to her two boys, instead of having to hold a fundraiser to pay for medical treatment. NHS covered this woman to her last breath; the taxes of the people paid for her final days and she didn't have to worry about how much she was spending on health care.

I can only hope that he sees the issue at hand and doesn't toss me eight thousand barrels of statistics and bull.

Ta,
Bec

It's Here ( With Extras Tacked On)

The game console arrived. Got the sensor bar with it, and when Anna went to turn it on, there was a Wii Sports disc in the drive. I can't use this disc because it works with WiiMotion, which I don't have, but Anna does and so I still technically came out on top. She's got the disc for now.

But the console itself is in marvelous shape for the little bit of money I paid, so anything from here on out is heaps of extras.

I am quite pleased with my purchase. Now I just gotta get some games for the thing.

Ta,
Bec

Wii!

I have bought a Wii.

It's a used one; might be missing the sensor bar, but it was 50 bucks on Amazon and when do you see current(ish) game consoles at that price WITH some accessories?

It's a splurgy kind of thing but I might enjoy it; if not, it can at least play DVD's.

And if I do leave the country, my sisters can use it as a home Wii (they each have their own.) That way they don't have to drag theirs back and forth.

I wrote some stuff on Prince Within but since my computer is still in the shop I'm feeling distinctly hogtied. Should be repaired by Monday. Thank God. I am missing that stupid thing so much.

Anyway, that's it on my end. It's raining again (for the fourth time this week.)

Ta,
Bec

Enrichment By Austen

I have screamed through the main portion of Jane Austen's works (that's 6 books) and I am now moving on to the last one. Sanditon is the one she didn't finish before she died, but since someone else finished it for her, I figure what the heck?

I adored Pride and Prejudice already and I loved Emma (but only after I saw the movie with Romola Garai, who will now and always be my idea of what Emma should be like.) The other four, well, they were all right. Sense and Sensibility was good, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey kind of enh, Mansfield Park too long in the tooth.

Now I have to watch the movies for the last three (Mansfield Park, Northanger, and Persuasion) in order to increase my knowledge and interpretation.

I figured if I'm going to sit around this house, I might as well enrich myself. I'm working on it. I just wanted you all to know how it's going.

Ta,
Bec

Tour Stuff

The Tour de France is shaping up to be very interesting this year. Contador is banned from competing and now Andy Schleck is out with a spine injury. The two best riders are down for the count. Thor Hushovd is skipping out, meaning if Cavendish competes he'll probably get the green jersey again. Leipheimer might be competing (he got hurt earlier this year.)

Oh yes, very interesting. With injuries and the Olympics this year, the best rider field is narrowing considerably.

Meanwhile, these stupid allegations against Lance Armstrong go on. Come on, USADA. They didn't find anything after 2 YEARS of investigation; do you really think you're going to find anything different? All those damned tests were negative all those years and you're still chasing him down.

Let it go, USADA. Let the man live in peace with his five children and his seven Tour victories. He has done nothing wrong and you're wasting valuable time that could be spent doing something like arresting baseball players for doing steroids.

So frustrating, really. I wish I could walk in there and berate these idiots for constantly beating this drum until it broke, but I can settle for complaining on my blog about it.

Ta,
Bec